


Just Like Old Times

by Dyleon



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Commander Shepard's Name is John, Joker and Shepard were lovers in Mass Effect 1, M/M, Mass Effect 2
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-22
Updated: 2015-02-22
Packaged: 2018-03-14 13:47:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3412931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dyleon/pseuds/Dyleon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Joker wouldn’t be surprised if John didn’t want to see him. After all, he was the reason why he died.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just Like Old Times

**Author's Note:**

> Originally, I wrote this fic as a Sterek AU and posted to my Tumble as one, but now I decided that I just rewrite it into MShep/Joker and post it here too.
> 
> The scene of the fic plays in the beginning of Mass Effect 2 where Shepard and Joker meet each other for the first time after the attack again.

Joker can still feel the explosions around him, the trembling of the ship, the noises from the lasers which were shooting at them. He remembers exactly what he said, mostly because he has learned what to say in an emergency like that.

_Mayday, mayday, mayday! This is SSV Normandy. We’ve suffered heavy damage from an unknown enemy._

He doesn’t even know if the communication between the ship and the Alliance was still working back then. They still haven’t told him everything about the incident. He didn’t even know if it was worth it to try, but the one thing he did know was that he couldn’t just head to the evac shuttles. There was no way in hell that he would abandon the Normandy when there was still a chance to save her, even when it looked that pathetic.

_Come on, baby. Hold together. Hold together!_

Maybe if he weren’t that stupid and realized sooner that the Normandy was hopeless, maybe he would be in another situation right now… No, it’s clear that he would be in a totally different situation right now, and for that he could throw himself against a wall, over and over again.

Joker had never thought that he would ever work together with a cooperation like Cerberus, and yet, he’s now sitting in one of their secondary headquarters, waiting for someone to tell him that he could meet the one why he went to this place, after all.

_No! I won’t abandon the Normandy! I can still save her!_

How foolish he was. Joker wouldn’t be surprised if John didn’t want to see him. After all, he was the reason why he died.

If him just swallowed his pride and listened to him earlier to leave the cockpit, they would have had enough time to get into the shuttle. _Both_. Because once John got sucked away from the shuttle, Joker only saw the doors closing, although he haven’t pushed any button.

John had sent the shuttle away, and the only thing Joker remembers is a big shudder and the sound of an explosion as the shuttle got launched out, throwing him against the door because he wasn’t sitting in a safety seat, and breaking several bones of his body, so that he was travelling half dead through space until someone finally find the shuttle he was in.

Joker flinches as the door suddenly opened with the typical whoosh-sound. “You can go to him now,” Miranda says in her usual uninterested and cold-hearted voice. He still doesn’t know what to think of her, but it seems like she wouldn’t care about that anyway. If Joker is honest to himself, Miranda seemed like a heartless Cerberus bitch. Always single-minded for the good of the Illusive Man she hasn’t met or seen either. At least, there was Jacop, a pretty smart guy who at least tells him something about Cerberus here and there. Joker doesn’t really know, but he thinks that Jacop wasn’t allowed to expose those details he shared with Joker.

He’s a nice guy. He just works for the wrong people... But how could he judge Jacop at that? After all, he works for those people too now.

Not saying a single word, Joker gets up and walks towards to door, past Miranda whose eyes are following him as if he’s going to stab her in the back any moment. There was no need to do so, though. If she wanted, she could break every single bone of his body without even using her biotic. Literally everyone could do that. It’s a curse to have glass bones.

Joker follows the hallway, along to where John would be. With every step he takes, the more nervous he gets and his heart rate gets higher. For Shepard, it must only be hours ago, maybe days, since he saw him last. But for Joker, it was so long ago that he doesn’t even know if it was all worth it.

The only reason why the Illusive Man has accepted his help is because that way, he could win Shepard’s trust. Because he was working with him now.

Joker walks around the last corner, his heart dropping as he sees him—or well, he at least sees the shadow of what must be John behind the holographic projection.

"I’ve found a pilot you might like. I hear he’s one of the best." The voice of the Illusive Man echoes through the whole room through the speakers. Joker would die to know what Shepard might think, hearing these words about this _special pilot_. Joker only sees the projection of the Illusive Man, shooting him a short look and making his heart skip a beat before he speaks up again, "Someone you can trust."

The lights and holograms disappear, and what Joker sees literally took his breath.

It’s him, just like he saw him the last. No one had shown him any pictures of how he looked like, even though John was still unconscious and that Joker knew him anyway.

John slowly turns around, but before he could say anything, Joker already wrapped his arms around his head, pulling him into a passionate kiss.

John’s eyes widen in surprise as Joker’s lips collide heavily against his, and it makes Joker wonder if it was wrong that he immediately kissed him.

Maybe John was angry at him, maybe he didn’t love him as much as he did. But as soon as Joker feels how John returns his kiss, groaning deeply into the other one’s mouth as Joker pushed his tongue into Shepard’s mouth.

However, that definitely isn’t the best kiss they have shared since John has his hard N7 armor on, but it’s the first kiss Joker shares with him in the last two years.

Joker is breathless as their lips part again. It’s a miracle that he even made it to stop. They pant heavily against each other’s faces, both of their heads resting on each other’s forehead.

Joker huffs shortly and coughs immediately after—maybe he broke a rib bone as he jumped into a hug with John, but he doesn’t care at the moment. He only sees John getting a huge smile on his face as he huffs out a laugh, making Joker smile too.

"Hey, Commander. Just like old times, huh?"

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Kudos and comments would mean a lot. :)
> 
> Ps.: A smutty second chapter is already planned.


End file.
